Gyroscopic exercise device

ABSTRACT

A gyroscopic exercise apparatus combining the principles of simulation and virtual reality for exercising the body and for developing balance training skills in sports such as river boarding, sledding and other sport where it is necessary for the body to be in a prone position on a board while engaged in that sport. The movement of the apparatus on its axis depends and is guided by the pressure exerted by the chest of the user on the upper section of the wobbling support board of the device. The user of the apparatus interacts with the games and video&#39;s displayed on a head mount or a computer monitor by pressing the appropriate buttons on the handles on the upper section of the wobbling support board of the device or by kicking their feet against the pressure sensitive foam mats incorporated at the bottom of the lower section of the board.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority under 35 USC 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/757,963 filed on Jan. 29, 2013, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is generally related to equipment and devices used to exercise and train the human body. More particularly, the invention is related to an exercise machine that uses the principles of a gyroscope combined with the principles of simulation and virtual reality to provide an effective body workout as well as balance training for popular sports such as river boarding, body boarding, sledding and other similar activities.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The gyroscope and its bedrock principle of angular momentum for measuring and maintaining orientation have been used in various instruments and devices such as the compass, motion sensitive devices on ships and aircraft for centuries. The precession of a gyroscope makes it an ideal base vehicle for the construction of various practical and useful machines and devices. For instance, the Hubble space telescope, ICBM's, and unmanned aerial vehicles all use the basic principles of a gyroscope for their operations.

In recent years, the use of gyroscopes in toys, amusement devices and virtual reality products has gained in popularity. U.S. Pat. No. 5,759,107 to Nagel describes a gyroscopic amusement apparatus constructed to provide an improved amusement ride for an operator through the use of a control stick to control the rotation of the gyroscopic rings mounted on a hydraulically operated motion based platform combined with a virtual reality head mounted display (HMD). In this gyroscopic amusement machine, the operator is confined to a seat and is restricted to remain seated while rotating within the circular rings of the gyroscopic machine.

Machines and devices that simulate motion such as the motion platform assembly for flight and vehicle simulation described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,027,342 to Brown and the motion simulator described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,366,375 to Sarnicola are well known in the art. Other prior art using the simulation technique are focused on providing training to master a sport such as surfing described in the surf simulator platform and videogame in U.S. Pat. Appl. Pub. No. 2007/0155495(Goo), the foot input type brain training device in U.S. Pat. Appl. Pub. No. 2011/0014979 (Ueshima) and the balance perturbation system and trainer in U.S. Pat. Appl. Pub. No. 2012/0071300 (Shapiro et al.).

The present invention combines the principles of the gyroscope with the principles of simulation and virtual reality to create an apparatus that is built to promote physical exercise and training in an unconventional way by having the rider/operator lying prone with the belly side down on a support board attached to the inner ring of a gyroscopic machine and controlling the gyration of the machine by pressing their chest against the upper section of the board in response to a virtual reality head mounted and/or computer video display. Besides physical exercise, the apparatus of the present invention also provides simulation and balance training for sports such as river boarding, body boarding and sledding where it is necessary for the body to be in a prone position on a board. Most other simulation related machines require the rider to be sitting in a seat as in the flight simulation devices or standing on a board as in the surfing simulation machines. The gyroscopic exercise device of the present invention is built to be ergonomic, functional and aesthetically pleasing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes a deficiency in the prior art for an exercise and training device that combines the gyroscopic principles with the principles of simulation and virtual reality through the use of a head mounted display (HMD) and computer to provide a machine that allows a rider to remain recumbent on a horizontal board while exercising their body and training for a sport such as river boarding, sledding or other similar sport. In general, the gyroscopic exercise machine of the present invention provides physical and visual stimulation to the user/rider of the device using the machine.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the exercise device has the configuration of a gyroscope with a stationary, grounded outer frame which houses the inner rotating rings of the gyroscope. In this embodiment of the gyroscopic exercise machine, the innermost ring is configured with a wobbling support board thinly attached horizontally to one side of the ring. This wobbling support board has an upper cradle-shaped section with two handles and a lower flat section. In this embodiment, the rider places their chest in the upper cradle section and holds onto the handles attached to that section. In this prone position, the rider's lower torso is placed on the flat section of the board and a strap or other locking device holds the rider's torso securely in place on the board.

In the exemplary embodiment of the gyroscopic exercise device of the invention, the upper section of the wobbling support board is attached to the inner ring with a universal joint that will allow the upper section to rock forward, backward and side to side. The rocking movements will be recorded either through an accelerometer positional sensor or through the pressure sensitive sensors below the wobbling support board in order to control the movement of the gyroscopic exercise device as well as to interact with a computer game displayed either on a monitor placed in front of the apparatus or on a head mounted display (HMD). In this embodiment of the invention, the handles on the upper section of the wobbling support board have buttons that when pressed by the rider will allow the rider to control their movement on the gyroscopic device as well as interact with a computer game displayed either on a monitor placed in front of the apparatus or on a HMD.

In the exemplary embodiment of the gyroscopic exercise device, the lower section of the wobbling support board has a foam mat section with pressure sensitive sensors to record the rider's leg movements when the rider strikes against the foam mat in a kicking motion while trying to simulate river boarding, sledding or other sport movements. In this embodiment, the rider's legs may also be strapped to the lower section of the board to record the movement when the rider pulls against the straps. In this embodiment, sensors located within the lower section of the board will translate the signals from the rider's body and leg movements and send them to the computer terminal to be displayed on the monitor.

In all embodiments of the gyroscopic exercise device of the present invention, the movement of the gyroscope apparatus on its axis will depend and be guided by the pressure exerted by the chest of the user/rider on the upper section of the wobbling support board of the device. In general, the rider of the machine interacts with the games and video's displayed on the head mount or the computer by pressing the appropriate buttons on the handles of the upper chest section of the wobbling support board or by kicking their feet against the pressure sensitive foam mats incorporated at the bottom of the lower section of the board.

In the exemplary embodiments of the gyroscopic exercise device of the present invention, actuators will be used to power the gyroscopic machine section relative to its anchored base. The use of hydraulic or other powering means are also envisioned in some embodiments of the gyroscopic exercise device of the present invention.

In the summary of the invention thus described through its embodiments, the various references to “exemplary embodiment,” “all embodiments” and “this embodiment” do not all necessarily refer to the same embodiment (s). Rather, these references in general mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least some embodiments, but not necessarily all embodiments of the invention. It should be understood and obvious to one skilled in the art that the embodiments thus described may be further modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The features and embodiments of the present invention as described in this summary of the invention will be further appreciated and will become obvious to one skilled in the art when viewed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, detailed description of the invention, and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the gyroscopic exercise device of the present invention in use with a user/rider recumbent and strapped on to the wobbling support board of the device.

FIG. 2 is a perspective side view of the gyroscopic exercise device of the present invention in a stationary position when not in use.

FIG. 3 is a partial elevation view of the upper section of the wobbling support board of the gyroscopic exercise device of the present invention showing the structural details inside that section of the wobbling support board.

FIG. 4 is another perspective side view of the gyroscopic exercise device of the present invention in a stationary position when not in use.

FIG. 5 is a perspective side view of the user/rider recumbent on the wobbling support board of the gyroscopic exercise device of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective front view of the user/rider recumbent on the wobbling support board of the gyroscopic exercise device of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a top plan elevation view of the user/rider recumbent on the wobbling support board.

FIG. 8 is another perspective view of the use of the exemplary embodiment of the gyroscopic exercise device of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the gyroscopic exercise device of the present invention in motion.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the gyroscopic exercise device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is an exercise apparatus that combines the principles of a gyroscope with the principles of simulation and virtual reality to provide a unique and unconventional physical exercise and training experience to the user of the device. In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the user/rider of the device lies prone with their belly side down on a wobbling support board attached to the inner-most rotating ring of a gyroscopic machine and is required to control the gyration of the apparatus by pressing their chest against the upper section of the wobbling support board in response to prompts from a head mounted display (HMD) and or alternately a display on a computer screen in front of them. The pressure exerted by the chest of the user/rider on the wobbling support board starts the movement of the gyroscope apparatus on its axis in all directions. The gyroscopic exercise device of the present invention is powered by a set of actuators. The use of hydraulic or other powering means are also envisioned in some embodiments of the invention.

Referring now to the figures, more particularly, FIG. 1 a perspective view of the use of the exemplary embodiment of the gyroscopic exercise device 20 is shown with a user/rider 30 in a recumbent position with belly down and face up on the wobbling support board 16 the upper section of which is attached to the inner rotating ring 14 of the gyroscopic device through a universal joint (not seen in this view, but shown more clearly in FIG. 5). The universal joint allows the upper section of the wobbling support board 16 to rock forward, backward and side to side when the user/rider 30 presses their chest against the upper section of the wobbling support board 16 in response to commands from a video screen viewable through a head mounted display (HMD) and/or a video display on a computer monitor screen placed strategically in view of the user/rider 30. The rocking movements generated when the user/rider 30 presses their upper torso against the floor of the upper section of wobbling support board 16 will be recorded either through an accelerometer positional sensor or through the pressure sensitive sensors below the wobbling support board in order to control the movement of the gyroscopic exercise device as well as to interact with a computer game displayed either on a monitor placed in front of the apparatus or on a head mounted display (MID). In this embodiment of the invention, the handles on the upper section of the wobbling support board have buttons that when pressed by the rider will allow the rider to control their movement on the gyroscopic device as well as interact with a computer game displayed either on a monitor placed in front of the apparatus or on a HMD.

Referring again to FIG. 1 for a more detailed description of the gyroscopic exercise device of the present invention, the gyroscopic exercise device 20 is comprised of a stationary and grounded circular base frame 10, an outer frame 11 which is semi-circular and attached to the circular base frame 10 and held up vertically and supported by four support frames 15. Within the outer frame 11 there are three rotating rings, an outer rotating ring 12, a middle rotating ring 13 and an inner rotating ring 14. A set of eight actuators power the gyroscopic exercise device 20 relative to its base frame 10. Actuators 1 and 2 are positioned between the outer frame 11 and the outer rotating ring 12. Actuator's 3 and 4 are positioned between the outer rotating ring 12 and the middle rotating ring 13. Actuators 5 and 6 are positioned between the middle rotating ring 13 and the inner rotating ring 14. Actuators 7 and 8 are positioned between the inner rotating ring 14 and the top and bottom ends of the rod/shaft holding the wobbling support board 16. With the gyroscopic exercise apparatus in a stationary position as illustrated in FIG. 2 the user/rider 30 straddles the wobbling support board 16 and lies down on the wobbling support board 16 with their belly down, face up and the legs stretched out to the bottom end of the board wobbling support board 16. The entire body of the user/rider 30 is secured to the wobbling support board 16 by means of a torso restraint and a pair of leg restraints. The manner of securing the user/rider 30 to the wobbling support board 16 by means of the restraints will be explained and can be better understood when viewing the illustrations in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6.

FIG. 2 is a perspective side view of the gyroscopic exercise device 20 of the present invention in a stationary position when it is not in use. The base frame 10 is grounded and the outer frame 11 is attached to the base frame 10 by means of a set of support frames 15. The outer frame holds three rings, an outer rotating ring 12, a middle rotating ring 13 and an inner rotating ring 14. The wobbling support board 16 is held within the inner rotating ring 14 by means of a support rod and/or shaft and universal joints illustrated more clearly in FIG. 7.

FIG. 3 is a partial elevation view of the upper section 16 a of the wobbling support board of the gyroscopic exercise device of the present invention showing the structural details inside that section of the wobbling support board. As illustrated, the upper section 16 a of the wobbling support board 16 is cradle-shaped with two handles 16 c and 16 d. The user/rider of the exercise device places his upper torso in the cradle-shaped upper section 16 a of the wobbling support board 16 and holds on to the handles 16 c and 16 d while lying flat with belly down and face up on the wobbling support board 16. The handles 16 c and 16 d have a set of buttons (not seen here) which when pressed will allow the user/rider of the device to control their movement on the device as well as to interact with the video display which may be either head mounted or displayed on a computer monitor screen in front of the apparatus and the user/rider 30. The lower section 16 b (partial view shown) of the wobbling support board 16 is flat in shape and holds the lower torso and the legs of the user of the gyroscopic exercise device. The upper section 16 a and the lower section 16 b of the wobbling support board 16 are held in place horizontally on a rod and /or shaft 17.

FIG. 4 is another perspective side view of the gyroscopic exercise device 20 of the present invention in a stationary position when not in use with all three rings lying parallel to each other. The main features of the device such as the base frame 10 the outer frame 11 the support frames 15 the actuators 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 can be seen along with the side view of the wobbling support board 16.

FIG. 5 is a perspective side view of the user/rider recumbent on the wobbling support board of the gyroscopic exercise device 20 of the invention. In this view, the user/rider 30 has his upper torso placed on the cradle-shaped upper section 16 a of the wobbling support board 16 and held in place by a torso restraint 19 a and his lower torso and legs placed on the lower section 16 b of the wobbling board 16 and securely held in place by a pair of upper leg restraints 19 b and a set of lower leg restraints 19 c. The entire wobbling support board 16 comprising the upper section 16 a and the lower section 16 b is held on a rod and/or shaft 17. A universal joint 9 is positioned between the lower side of the upper section 16 a of the wobbling support board 16 and the rod/shaft 17 in a manner that allows the upper section 16 a to rock forward, backward and side to side when the user/rider 30 presses their chest against the upper section 16 a of the wobbling support board 16. The rocking motions of the upper section 16 a may also be controlled through buttons on the handles by the user/rider 30.

Referring again to FIG. 5 and the gyroscopic exercise apparatus 20 the lower section 16 b of the wobbling support board 16 is hingedly connected to the rod/shaft 17 and the two ends of the rod/shaft 17 are in turn hingedly connected to the inner rotating ring 14 to hold the wobbling support board 16 in place within the inner rotating ring 14. In the exemplary embodiment of the gyroscopic exercise device 20 of the invention, the apparatus has a foam mat with pressure sensitive sensors 18 placed at the bottom end of the lower section 16 b of the wobbling support board 16 to record the user/rider 30's leg movements when they strike against the foam mat in a kicking motion while trying to simulate river boarding, sledding, or other sports movements. The sensors then translate the signals from the user/rider 30's body and leg movements and send them to the computer terminal to be displayed on the monitor screen for viewing. The leg restraints 19 b and 19 c also may assist in recording movements of the legs when the user/rider 30 pulls against the straps on the restraints. In general, the movement of the gyroscopic exercise device 20 on its axis will depend and be guided by the pressure exerted by the chest of the user/rider 30 on the upper section 16 a of the wobbling support board 16 of the device. The user/rider 30 interacts with the games and video's displayed on the head mount 19 d or the computer monitor screen strategically placed in front of the gyroscopic exercise device 20 by pressing the appropriate buttons on the handles within the cradle of the upper section 16 a of the wobbling support board 16, or by kicking their feet against the pressure sensitive foam mat 18 incorporated at the bottom of the lower section 16 b of the wobbling support board 16.

FIG. 6 is a perspective front view of the user/rider 30 recumbent on the wobbling support board 16 of the gyroscopic exercise device 20 with the head mounted display 19 d placed on the head of the user/rider 30. In this view, the positioning of the actuators 5 and 6 between the middle rotating ring 13 and the inner rotating ring 14 can be seen more clearly. There is an actuator 7 between the inner rotating ring 14 and the top end of the wobbling support board 16. The rod/shaft 17 connects the wobbling support board 16 to the inner rotating ring 14.

FIG. 7 is a top plan elevation view of the user/rider 30 recumbent on the wobbling support board 16 with a clear view of the demarcation between the upper section 16 a and the lower section 16 b of the wobbling support board 16. The rod/shaft 17 is holding the wobbling support board 16 with the actuators 7 and 8 positioned at two ends of the wobbling support board 16 and connected to the inner rotating ring 14.

FIG. 8 is another perspective view of the use of the exemplary embodiment of the gyroscopic exercise device of the present invention as described in detail in FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is another perspective view of the gyroscopic exercise device 20 of the present invention when it is in motion. It also shows the back view of the wobbling support board 16 without the user/rider on it.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the gyroscopic exercise device 20 illustrating the positioning of the base frame 10, the outer frame 11, the support frames 15 and the wobbling support board 16 in relation to each other.

The present invention which combines the gyroscopic principles and the principles of simulation and virtual reality thus described through the various views of the drawings of the device, is not only an apparatus to exercise the body, but is also a training apparatus to develop skills in balance training for sports such as river boarding, body boarding, sledding and other similar sport where it is necessary for the body to be in a prone position on a board when engaged in those sports. Most other simulation related machines require the rider to be sitting in a seat as in the flight simulation devices or standing on a board as in the surfing simulation machines. In general, the gyroscopic exercise device of the present invention provides both physical and visual stimulation to the user/rider of the device using the apparatus.

The foregoing description of the invention through its figures and preferred embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention. It is to be understood that the embodiments of the present invention as described herein do not limit any application or scope of the invention and that the invention can be carried out and practiced in various ways and implemented in embodiments other than the ones outlined in the description above. It is to be further understood that the phraseology and terminology used to describe the invention are for descriptive purposes only. It should be understood and obvious to one skilled in the art that alternatives, modifications, and variations of the embodiments of the present invention may be construed as being within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A gyroscopic exercise apparatus, comprising: a stationary base frame structure member; a vertical outer frame structure member; said vertical outer frame structure member hingedly connected to said stationary base frame structure member by means of a plurality of support frame structure members; a plurality of rotating ring members held within the said vertical outer frame structure member; a wobbling support board structure member to support the body of a user; a plurality of actuators to power said gyroscopic exercise apparatus, positioned between said outer vertical frame structure member and said plurality of rotating ring members to affect the movement of said rotating ring members with respect to said stationary base frame structure member; and a plurality of pressure sensitive sensors to sense the movement of a user of said gyroscopic exercise apparatus and transmit them to a computer or head mounted display to be viewed by said user;
 2. The gyroscopic exercise apparatus of claim 1 wherein said plurality of rotating ring members comprise an outer rotating ring member, a middle rotating ring member and an inner rotating ring member.
 3. The gyroscopic exercise apparatus of claim 1 wherein said wobbling support board structure member comprises an upper cradle-shaped section to hold said user's upper torso and a lower flat section to hold said user's lower torso when said user lies belly down and face up on said wobbling board structure member.
 4. The gyroscopic exercise apparatus of claim 1 wherein the movement of the gyroscope apparatus on its axis will depend and be guided by the pressure exerted by the chest of said user on said upper cradle-shaped section of said wobbling support board structure member.
 5. The gyroscopic exercise apparatus of claim 3 wherein the upper cradle-shaped section of said wobbling support structure member is hingedly connected to a rod member through a universal joint member to allow movement of said upper cradle-shaped section of said wobbling support board structure member when the user presses their chest against said cradle-shaped section of said wobbling support board structure member to start the motion of said gyroscopic exercise apparatus.
 6. The gyroscopic exercise apparatus of claim 3 wherein said lower flat section of said wobbling support board structure member is hingedly connected to said rod member and the two ends of said rod member are hingedly connected to said inner rotating ring member to hold said wobbling support structure member in place within said inner rotating ring member.
 7. The gyroscopic exercise apparatus of claim 3 wherein said user's upper torso is held by a torso restraint on the upper cradle-shaped section of said wobbling support board structure member and said user's lower torso is restrained by a pair of upper leg restraints and a pair of lower leg restraints on said lower flat section of said wobbling support board structure member.
 8. The gyroscopic exercise apparatus of claim 3 wherein said upper cradle-shaped section of said wobbling board structure member has a pair of handle structure members for said user to hold while lying on said wobbling support board structure member.
 9. The gyroscopic exercise apparatus of claim 8 wherein said handle structure members on said upper section of said wobbling board structure member has a set of buttons which when pressed will allow said user to control their movement on said gyroscopic exercise apparatus as well as to interact with a head mounted video display or a computer monitor display.
 10. The gyroscopic exercise apparatus of claim 3 wherein said lower flat section of said wobbling support structure member has a foam mat section with pressure sensitive sensors to record the user's leg movements when the user strikes against said foam mat in a kicking motion or pulls on the leg restraints while trying to simulate river boarding, sledding or other sport movements and send the signals to said head mounted display or to a computer terminal to be viewed on said computer monitor by the user.
 11. The gyroscopic exercise apparatus of claim 1 wherein when the user presses their chest against said upper section of said wobbling support board structure member and starts said gyroscopic exercise apparatus, the rocking movements will be recorded either through an accelerometer positional sensor or through said pressure sensitive sensors to control the movement of said gyroscopic exercise apparatus as well as allows said user to interact with a computer game displayed either on a computer monitor or on a head mounted display.
 12. The gyroscopic exercise apparatus of claim 1 wherein said gyroscopic exercise apparatus is used for exercising the body.
 13. The gyroscopic exercise apparatus of claim 1 wherein said gyroscopic exercise apparatus is used for training and practice in developing balancing skills required in sports such as river boarding, body boarding, sledding and other sport where it is necessary for the body to be in a prone position on a board while engaging in that sport. 